Tunisia’s economy grew 1.9% in 2017 compared with 1% in the previous year, official figures showed on Thursday, Reuters reported.
The state statistics institute said the growth was driven by a 2.5% expansion in the agricultural sector. The North African country’s economy has been recovering slowly since taking a hit following the overthrow of autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 and two major militant attacks in 2015. Tunisia is aiming to raise GDP growth to 3% this year. It forecasts the budget deficit to fall to 4.9% of gross domestic product in 2018, from 6% in 2017.
Tunisian Prime minister Youssef Chahed said last month that 2018 will be the last year of hardship. Meanwhile, the World Bank’s annual report on the state of the global economy forecasts Tunisia’s economic growth to edge up to 2.7% in 2018, far below the government’s 3% growth projection.
Growth will pick up to 3.3% in 2019 and through 2020, the report indicated.
